Fertilizer-distributer.



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- Patented Sept. 22,1908.

: auxin-sum UNITED STATES EDWARD L. HAHN, OF MUSCATIXB, IOWA.

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To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. HAHN, of Muscatine, in the eountyof Muscatine and Stateof Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Im )rovements in Fertilizer-Distributers; and hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an attachment for cultivators and like machines and particularly is an improvement upon the fertilizing distributing attachment shown'in my Patent No. 838,856, granted to me December 18, 1906. Its objects are (1) to simplify the construction of the attachment so that it can be applied to either a rigid or pivotal axlecultivator; (2) also to reduce the wearing parts, to

simplify the construction and to enable one or more discharge tubes for the fertilizer to be operated from the same hopper, and to enab e the fertilizer to be appliec either in ad-v vance or following the cultivator shovels, so

that the fertilizing can eitherbe covered or applied as a top dressing; also to remove all bearings from direct contact wlth the tertilizer, thus lessening the liability of rust and eorroding of the bearings and providing a positive or force feed for the fertilizer.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated the attachment as applied to a riding two-wheel cultivator; but it will be understood that it can be used on various other kinds of cultivators, also on other vehicles and wheeled farm implements having a driven shaft or wheel from which power can be transmitted to the operating shaft of the attachment. v

In said drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a wheeled cultivator with my improved fertilizer distributer attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear view of the attachment, detached. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail'view of one of the feeding or agitating devices;

The cultivator shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings is a straddle row two-wheel cultivator,

and has a main axle 2, supported on carrying wheels and provided with a tongue 2*;

- and to the opposite legs of the axle are connected the cultivator beams carrying shovels 1, 1", and which can be manipulated in the usual manner. These parts are, or may be,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 6, 1908. Serial No. 41".

)arallel with the axes of the wheels.

Patented Sept. 22,- 1908.

V of any well known or preferred construction and need no detailed explanation herein.

To the cultivator frame is attached a bar 3, by clips '2; or in any other suitable manner, it only being desirable that the bar 3 should be substantially horizontal and preferably .On this ar 3 is adjustahly secured the fertilizer distributer, comprising a hopper 4, and a base plate 4, [0 which the hopper 4 is secured; this base plate can be adj ustably fastened to the bar 3 by means of clips 3, or in any other convenient manner.

The base plate 4 has a flange 4" around which the lower end of the hopper 4 is secured, and this flange is notched as at 4 to form bearings for the inner end of a shaft 6, the outer end of which is journaled in a bracket, 6. attached to the bar 3; and this hopper can be adjusted to or from the bearing 6 so as to locate the distributer at the desired point relative to the shovels.

The hopper 4 is slotted at 4 to fit over the shaft 6, and at the same time make a sufficiently tight joint with the flange 4 the hopper 4 can be detachably secured to the plate 4 by the bolts 4 Washers 6 can be strung on shaft 6 within the hopper so as to prevent the fertilizer escaping through the openings 4. The end of this shaft may be journaled in a bracket 6 attached to bar 3 as shown.

The plate 4 is provided with apertures 4 in its bottom communicating Wifill short tubes 4 gand strung on the shaft 6, over these apertures 4, are force feed devices or paddles 6*, which are adapted to agitate the material in the. hopper and push it through said openings into the spout-s 4 The size of the feed openings 4 may be regulated by a slide 5, interposed between the u per ends of the tubes 4 and the bottoni p are 4; said slide 5, being sup )orted by said tubes which are fastened to time underside of plate 4.

The slide 5 can be shifted by means of a. lever 5 pivoted at 5 to the under side of plate 4 and provided with a tooth 5, adapted to' engage a toothed segment 5, on the under side of the bottom plate 4, so as to hold the slide in any position to which it is adjusted. The lever 5 is, sufficiently resilient to enable its tooth 5 to be sprung into or out of engagementwith the teeth of segment 5.

The tubes 4 are connected to distributing front thereof; so as to either top dress orsubfertilize the soil. 4

The shaft 6 may be driven by means of a sprocket-chain 7, running over a sprocket 2,

fast to the hub of one of the wheels 2", and running over a sprocket 6, on the outer end of shaft 6. The sprocket 6' preferably has deep side flanges 6, which prevent the chain disengaging the sprocket, even if it has to be operated at an angle tothe driver, and-also permits the devices to be used in connection with a pivoted axle cultivator.

\Vhen the attachment is properly posi tioned on the machine the paddles 6 will force the fertilizeror seed in hopper 4 through the openings 4' into the tubes 4 and hose 4", hy which it will be delivered in front of, beside or behind, the shovels according to the wish of the user; and the amount of the material fed is controlled by adjusting valve 5.

If desired only one opening 4 need be used and the other opening can be stopped. The discharge hose 4 can be adjusted so as to make a top dressing of the fertilizer, or can be adjusted to follow any of the shovels as desired. In either case the fertilizer will immediately work into the loose moist soil and become available as lant food.

By this device I o tain a force feed of the fertilizer, and the apparatus can be used to distribute seed or seed mixed with the fertilizer if desired. By this invent-ion the fortilizer can be supplied at different times during the cultivation of the crops and at the sides of the growing plants in the rows with practically no expense to the agriculturist, as the attachment can be placed on the ordinar cultivators so as to ap ly the fertilizer simu taneously with the on tivation of the plants, and by the same machine used fol-cultivating. Having described my invention what I claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1

1. In combination with a wheeled-cultivator, of a removable attachment therefor, comprising a bar detachably attached to the cultivator frame, a plate adjustably attached seams to said bar and having a lurality of feed 0 enings, a hopper on said p ate, a shaft par a lel'with the bar and journaled in bearings thereon and extending transversely of and through the hopper, paddles fnred on said shaft within the hopper, tubes attached to said plate below the feed openin s, a slide valve for regulating the size of the feed openings, a lever for operating the said valve, and sprocket chain and gears for driving said shaft from the vehicle wheels.

2. In combination with a straddle-row cultivator, of a detachableattachment com-- prising a bar adjustably and removably attached to the cultivator frame, a plate adjustably attached to said bar and provided with a plurality of feed openings, a ho per dctachably secured on said plate, a s aft mounted on the bar and parallel therewith and extending into the hopper, s rocket chain and gearing for rotating sai shaft from the cultivator wheels, stirrers in said hopper over the openin s in the plate, and tub s connected with tie o enings in said plate for conducting materia from the feed openings to the shovels.

3. In combination with a cultivator, a re movable attachment therefor comprising a bar dctachably attached to the cultivator frame,'a erforated plate mounted on said bar and ii mounted upon said plate, a shaft mounted on said bar and extending parallel with the bar through the hopper and above the feed opening in the said plate, a itatin devices within the hopper operated by said shaft, a tube suspended from the plate below the feed opening for conducting the material from the feed opening to the shovel, a valve attached to the plate for regulating the size of the feed opening in the plate, and sprocket chain and gears for driving said shaft from the cultivator wheels.

' In testimon that I claim the foregoing as my own, I a it my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. HAHN. Witnesses:

FRED LEU, Jr., J. A. Bonn.

aving a feed opening, a hopper I 

